A small guide for foreign students in the M.Sc. Data Science and the M.Sc.

Survey Statistics

October 2018

Author: Oleksandra Smal

Integration into the German Higher Education System

 Registration for courses and PORTA

The registration for courses usually opens a week or two before the semester starts (sometimes during the
first week of the semester). It lasts for one week maximum, so you have to be very attentive not to miss it.
Students have to register via PORTA for all courses they are going to attend. Occasionally, a separate
registration for lectures and seminars is needed.

The scheduled courses for the Survey Statistics programme in the winter term 2018/2019 can be found here:

https://www.uni-trier.de/index.php?id=66672

The scheduled courses for the Data Science programme in the winter term 2018/2019 can be found here:

https://www.uni-trier.de/index.php?id=66683

In case you have missed the registration deadline, kindly ask the professor to add you to the list of
participants.

Once you have signed up for the courses, you can still decide whether to take the exams. Registration for the
exams via PORTA has to be done separately from the registration for the courses! Usually, the registration
period for an exam opens a month before the exam date and closes two weeks before an exam date. You
will be informed about the exact deadlines during the course.

On PORTA you may also find: overview of your grades, confirmation of enrollment available to print,
schedule.

 Study materials and Stud.IP

Trier University also uses a learning platform called Stud.IP. On Stud.IP you can find the materials for your
lectures and seminars as well as contact information of lecturers and students. The best way to ask for a
personal appointment with a lecturer is by e-mail. Materials are usually available a few days before the
lecture. Having them printed out makes it easier to follow during the lecture.

Access to Stud.IP:

https://studip.uni-trier.de/

 Student identity card or TUNIKA

You are always expected to have a TUNIKA (Trierer Universitätskarte) with you. It is required for: free
transportation, the library, exams, canteen, printing, etc.

More information about the TUNIKA can be found here:

https://www.uni-trier.de/index.php?id=741&L=2

 General study tips

1. Be prepared for lectures and seminars

The materials for the upcoming lectures and seminars will be uploaded to Stud.IP. It is really nice to have a
printed or electronic version of the lecture slides with you, so you can take notes right on the slides.
Moreover, it will be much easier for you to understand the material if you have read it before and have
checked for new terminology. Try to solve seminar tasks ahead of the time.

2. Questions to lecturers

The best time for questions is before, during, and after class. In case you have missed such opportunities,
you have to make an appointment by e-mail before coming to a lecturer’s office with a question. Otherwise,
chances are that the lecturer is busy and cannot talk to you.

3. Midterm exams and homework

For most of the courses you do not have intermediate knowledge checks. Probably your grade will depend
only on the final exam. But it is highly recommended to learn the material step by step after each lecture.
Although nobody controls this, it will make your exam preparation much less stressful.

4. Final exams

For the preparation for an exam you will, depending on your prior knowledge, working hours, etc., need
approximately one month. But it is possible that you have two or more exams during one week. So plan your
study in advance! Start your projects as soon as possible!

Please remember that you only have 3 attempts to pass an exam. In case of failure, you are not allowed to
take this exam in Germany anymore.

5. Attendance

Usually, lecture participation is not obligatory, but it is highly recommended nevertheless. During the lecture
you will have a chance to take notes that are very useful for exam preparation. On the other hand, seminar
participation is obligatory! The general rule is that you cannot miss more than (at most) two seminar dates
without good reason. If you cannot visit a seminar date, please inform the lecturer beforehand.

6. It is going to be difficult once in a while

From time to time the material will be absolutely new to you. Don’t worry though. Just start to read about it
from scratch. This is absolutely normal, since the participating students have different backgrounds. With the
right amount of perseverance you will make it.

7. Credits and duration of the study

If you are planning to finish the master programme within two years, you have to gain 30 credits on average
per semester. There are two types of courses: 5 credit courses and 10 credit courses. So, the amount of
disciplines/courses per semester heavily depends on the types of courses you choose.

You can read about credits (Leistungspunkte, or LP, in German) here:

Survey Statistics:

https://www.uni-trier.de/fileadmin/studium/STUDIENVERLAUFSINFOS/ORDNUNGEN/PruefungsO/2-
MA/FPO_MA/FPO_MA_VWL/FPO_MA_SurveyStatistics_1F/FPO_MA_SurveyStatistics_1F_2015/2_LF_MSc_
1F_Survey-Statistics_2017-06-12.pdf

Data Science:
https://www.uni-trier.de/fileadmin/studium/STUDIENVERLAUFSINFOS/ORDNUNGEN/PruefungsO/2-
MA/FPO_MA/FPO_MA_Informatik/FPO_MA_DataScience_1F/FPO_MA_DataScience_1F_2017/FPO_MSc_1
F_DataScience_2017-12-21.pdf

8. Other useful links

Key dates:

https://www.uni-trier.de/index.php?id=709&L=2

Exchange opportunities:

https://www.uni-trier.de/index.php?id=29711&L=2#c67493

Free language courses:

https://www.uni-trier.de/index.php?id=44982

https://www.uni-trier.de/index.php?id=44991

Internationales Zentrum (iZ) (International Centre):

https://www.uni-trier.de/index.php?id=20056&L=2

Scholarship possibilities:

https://www.uni-trier.de/index.php?id=61152&L=2

Life in Germany

 Registering at the Residents Registration Authority

Within two weeks of moving into your accommodation, you are required to register as a resident with the
‘registration authorities’ responsible for your place of residence. To register with the registration authorities,
you need a form for the ‘police registration’.

The form, office hours, and the address of the Registration Authority is available on the following website:

https://www.trier.de/Rathaus-Buerger-in/Buergerservice/Dienstleistungen-A-
Z/broker.jsp?uMen=fe90abf1-6113-e313-21fb-
121032ead2aa&class=net.icteam.cms.utils.externalContents.ExternalContentManager&class_lookup=d115
&id=07115900104000&prefix=w&uTem=84a0abf1-6113-e313-21fb-121032ead2aa

Ask your landlord or the manager of your student accommodation to sign the completed form immediately.
You should also have your passport and, if applicable, entry visa with you when you register.

 Immigration Office

After registering as a resident, most foreigners must still proceed to the “Ausländerbehörde” (Foreigners
Authority) to register there as well. This is not necessary for EU citizens. Foreign
nationals must apply for a residence permit at the Foreigners Authority
within the first three months of their stay. There will be issued a so-called electronic
residence permit (“elektronischer Aufenthaltstitel (eAT)”) in credit card format. For
the application, you will need the following documents: passport with visa (where
appropriate); a biometric photograph; residents registration document; proof of financing; health insurance;
enrollment certificate; fee of 100 Euro (cash); request form.

The form, office hours, and the address of the Immigration Office is available on the website:
https://www.trier.de/rathaus-buerger-in/stadtverwaltung/aemter-dienststellen/dezernat-iii/amt-fuer-
auslaender-angelegenheiten/

 Licence fee for citizens

In Germany, each citizen is obliged to pay a ‘tax’ for radio and TV. During the first few months you are
supposed to get a letter with information about the tax and the possible ways of paying it. The amount of
the tax is 17.50 Euro per month. This tax only has to be paid once per household. So if you live together with
other students in a Wohngemeinschaft (WG), chances are that the tax is already paid and you only have to
pay a share of the monthly amount. Further information is available on the website:

https://www.rundfunkbeitrag.de/

 Accommodation

Dormitories are offered by the Studierendenwerk (studiwerk) (there is a possibility to apply for a room
online):

https://www.studiwerk.de/cgi-
bin/cms?_SID=596b070b9409c5f895572a8b5a0cd793cb6f5a3b00149108794996&&_bereich=artikel&_akti
on=detail&idartikel=100065

Private dormitories:

https://www.uni-trier.de/index.php?id=41346&L=2

 Jobs

Students who do not come from an EU or EEA country must ensure that they comply with the following
requirement: they must not work for more than 120 full days or 240 half days per calendar year without
approval of the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit).

Useful links for job search:

https://www.uni-trier.de/?id=37389

https://www.studiwerk.de/cms/jobboerse-1004.html

https://career-service.hochschule-trier.de/fuer-studierende/jobboerse/

https://en.jobs.lu/

http://www.stepstone.de/.lu

https://www.monster.de/.lu

 Health

A distinction is made between general practitioners and specialists in Germany. As a general rule, you should
first go to your general practitioner, who will refer you to a specialist doctor if necessary. Whenever you go
to the doctor’s, you will need to present your health insurance card. If you are insured by a statutory health
insurance company, they will cover all the costs of your visit to the doctor – you will only need to pay part of
the costs of any medication prescribed. If you have private health insurance, you must first pay for any service
but in most cases the health insurance provider will reimburse you at a later stage.

If you need medical care while you are in Trier, you can find the most important addresses of doctors,
pharmacies, hospitals and for emergencies here:

https://www.uni-trier.de/index.php?id=44132&L=2#c139797

 Waste sorting
Germans take their trash very seriously, and it may take a while for newcomers to understand what goes in
which bin. The general rule is:

o Blue bin: paper and cardboard

o Yellow/orange bin: plastic and metal
o Brown bin: biodegradable goods
o The gray/black bin: everything else

More information about waste sorting can be found here:

https://allaboutberlin.com/guides/sorting-trash-in-germany